Longitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apron and combination toilet riser

ABSTRACT

A longitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apron for mounting over an underlying toilet riser in order to provide a toilet base mounting surface for a toilet base that extends beyond a forward end of the underlying toilet riser. The underlying toilet riser has a riser top panel and an upwardly protruding simulated closet flange. The apron is longer than the riser and slightly wider than the riser so it can fit over the riser in a nesting relationship. The top panel of the apron has a laterally centered and longitudinally elongated opening through the apron top panel. The opening has longitudinal side walls that are spaced apart farther than the lateral width of the riser flange to permit the riser flange to fit within the opening and be slidably and longitudinally adjustable within and along the opening. Apron sidewalls surround the riser and extend downward to the floor.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.

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REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to toilet risers for mounting a toiletin a raised position above floor level and more particularly relates toan adapter apron for mounting over a toilet riser in order to provide alongitudinally extended, hygienic planar surface on which the toiletbase rests.

The height of a toilet seat above the floor on which the toilet ismounted is typically on the order of 14″ or 15″. Although that heightprovides the best comfort and ease of use over the broad range of thesize and age range of human users, users with a mobility or strengthproblem often have difficulty with the conventional height. The comfortand the ease of use by such users are improved by positioning the toiletseat at a higher level above the floor. A toilet riser is used to enablea conventional toilet to be mounted so that its toilet seat issufficiently raised above the floor to facilitate use by the users whohave a mobility or strength problem.

The basic toilet riser 10, as known in the prior art and illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, forms a mounting platform that is interposed between thefloor and the base of the toilet. The toilet riser 10 raises the toilet,usually 2 to 4 inches, above the floor. The riser is constructed withsufficient strength to support at least the sum of the weight of thetoilet, the water in the toilet and a human user. The riser 10 has aboss 12 with a circular outer periphery 14 on its top surface 16 thatforms a closet flange 18 which simulates a standard closet flangemounted at floor. The base of the toilet is conventionally fastened tothe flange 18 by two machine bolts (not shown) that extend verticallyupward through holes in the flange 18 that are located on diametricallyopposite sides of the flange 18. The riser closet flange 18 is sealed tothe toilet base at the bottom outlet of the toilet by the conventionalmeans of a wax ring or other sealing ring. The riser 10 also has apassage leading downward from the flange 18 to an outlet opening at thebottom of the riser 10. That bottom outlet opening simulates the openingin the bottom of the toilet and is sealed to the conventional,floor-mounted, closet flange of a sewer pipe in the same conventionalmanner.

The toilet riser 10 has for several years fit most round-base toiletsthat were popular and were being commonly sold. With the round-basetoilets the distance from the flange bolts to the front of the roundtoilet base was typically 14″. But in more recent years elongated-basetoilets have become increasingly fashionable. The elongated-base toiletsextend forward more than 14″ to as much as 19″ or more. Consequently, ifthe newer elongated base toilets were mounted to the toilet riser 10,they would hang over the front edge of a 14″ riser 10.

There is therefore a need for an adapter for the riser 10 that wouldallow the riser 10 to be used with the newer, elongated toilets in amanner that is both attractive and hygienic. Of course as an alternativeto an adapter, a longer toilet riser could be manufactured that has thesame structural features of existing risers but also has alongitudinally longer length that is long enough to extend a littlebeyond the base footprint of newer elongated toilets. Although that canbe done, the risers themselves are expensive because they must bestructurally strong enough to support the weight of the toilet and userand also because they have the upper flange, lower outlet opening andthe interposed passage formed between them. In order to providesufficient strength, the component parts of risers are typically made ofthicker material which also increases cost. Not only are the individualrisers expensive to manufacture, but also an inventory of risers ofdifferent sizes would be required to accommodate the broad range oftoilet footprint sizes that are being marketed.

It is an object and feature of the invention to provide a less expensiveway to adapt an existing shorter (14″) riser so that it can be used tosupport the newer elongated toilets with a footprint length range of 14″up to 19″ or beyond. In order to accomplish that, a riser or thecombination of a riser and its adapter must extend longitudinallyforward at least to, but not much beyond, the front of the toilet basefootprint. As a result, an adapter must be adjustable to fit any toiletbase footprint in that range. Such a riser adapter also needs to have asmooth outer surface that is easily kept clean and it should not haveany mechanisms that can trap dust and dirt in places that are difficultto clean.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a longitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apronfor mounting over an underlying toilet riser in order to provide atoilet base mounting surface for a toilet base that extends beyond aforward end of the underlying toilet riser. The underlying toilet riseris a prior art structure that has a riser top panel and a simulatedcloset flange protruding upward from riser top surface. The apron has anapron length in the longitudinal direction that is longer than the riserlength and an apron width in the lateral direction that is wider thanthe riser width. That relationship allows the apron to fit over theriser in a nesting relationship. The top panel of the apron has alaterally centered and longitudinally elongated opening through theapron top panel. The opening has longitudinal side walls that are spacedapart farther than the lateral width of the riser flange to permit theriser flange to fit within the opening and be slidably andlongitudinally adjustable within and along the opening. Apron sidewallsextend from the apron top panel and have a height and position tosurround the riser and extend downward to the floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a prior art toilet riser.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the toilet riser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a longitudinally adjustable toiletriser adapter apron that, when used, is operatively assembled with andnested over the toilet riser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the apron of FIG. 3 viewed from thediagonally opposite side.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of the underside of the apron of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the assembled toilet riser of FIG. 1and the apron of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the assembled toilet riser and apron withthe apron slid to its farthest back position.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the assembled toilet riser and apron withthe apron slid to an intermediate position.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the assembled toilet riser and apron withthe apron slid to its farthest forward position.

FIG. 10 is a partial and more detailed top plan view of the assembledtoilet riser and apron with the apron slid to an intermediate position.

FIG. 11 is a partial and more detailed top plan view of the assembledtoilet riser and apron with the apron slid to its most forward position.

FIG. 12 is view in section taken substantially along the line 12-12 ofFIG. 7.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which isillustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted tofor the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the inventionbe limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understoodthat each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operatein a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves an underlying toilet riser and a longitudinallyadjustable toilet riser apron that mounts over the underlying toiletriser. The purpose of the toilet riser apron is to provide a toilet basemounting surface for supporting a toilet which has a base that extendsbeyond the forward end of the underlying toilet riser. The toilet riserapron is configured to be longitudinally adjustable so that the distancefrom the center of the flange of the underlying toilet riser to thefront end of the apron can be slidably adjusted to be equal to orslightly greater than the distance from the mounting bolt holes of thetoilet to the front end of the toilet. This adjustment capability allowsthe single toilet riser apron to be used for a variety of differenttoilet models that span a range of distances from the mounting boltholes of the toilet to the front end of the toilet's base.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the underlying toilet riser 10 has a riserlength in its longitudinal direction that is longer than its riser widthin its lateral direction to form a rectangular platform. The underlyingtoilet riser 10 has a riser top panel 20 with a riser top surface 16 anda flange 18. The flange 18 protrudes a selected flange height above theriser top surface 16. The flange 18 also has a lateral width which, fora circular flange, is its outside diameter. The underlying toilet riser10 has internal supports (not shown) extending from the underside of theriser top panel 20 and terminating in a plane at the floor level forsupporting the toilet riser 10 on a floor. Although the toiler risersupports can have a variety of forms, the preferred supports include theriser sidewalls 22 and leg panels extending down from the underside ofthe riser top panel 20 to bottom ends that are coplanar with the bottomends 24 of the sidewalls 22.

The longitudinally adjustable toilet riser apron 26 of the invention isillustrated by itself in FIGS. 3-5 and is shown assembled with thetoilet riser 10 in FIGS. 6-9. The apron 26 has an apron top panel 28that has an apron length in the longitudinal direction that is longerthan the length of the riser 10. The preferred embodiment of the aprontop panel 28 is 6″ or 7″ longer than the length of the riser 10. Theapron 26 with its top panel 28 has a width in the lateral direction thatis wider than the width of the riser 10 so that the apron 26 can fitover the riser 10 in a nesting relationship. The apron 26 has sidewalls30 that extend from the apron top panel 28 and have a height andposition so they surround the riser top panel 20 and extend down to thefloor when the riser 10 and the apron 26 are assembled in their nestingconfiguration. Preferably, the riser sidewalls 22 and the apronsidewalls 30 are both blended to their respective top panels 20 and 28by a quarter round segment and taper at the same angle outwardprogressing from their top panels to the floor.

Both the riser 10 and the apron 26 are each preferably molded as anintegral, unitary body from a plastic synthetic resin material. Thepreferred wall thickness of the riser 10 is about ¼″ and the preferredwall thickness of the apron 26 is about ⅛″. Although the length of theapron 26 is considerably longer than the length of the riser 10 in orderto permit longitudinal adjustment for fitting toilet base lengths ofdifferent sizes, it is desirable that the width of the apron 26 in thelateral direction be small enough to provide only a small gap betweenthe outer surface of the riser 10 sidewalls 22 and the inner surface ofthe apron sidewalls 30. The preferred gap is about ⅛ inch whichminimizes the lateral width of the assembled riser. It is also preferredthat the lower segment of both the riser sidewalls 22 and the apronsidewalls 30 be formed with a decorative, integral, quarter round frame.However it is also preferred that the rear wall 31 of the apron 26 omitthe quarter round frame and instead have a straight wall to allow formaximum clearance between the rear wall 31 and a room wall adjacent therear of the toilet.

An important feature of the invention is that a laterally centered andlongitudinally elongated opening 32 is formed through the apron toppanel 28. The opening 32 has longitudinal side walls 34 that are spacedslightly farther apart than the lateral width of the riser flange 18.This spacing provides a clearance gap between the outer edges 14 of theflange 18 and the longitudinal side walls 34 of the opening 32. Theclearance gap permits the riser flange 18 to fit within the opening 32and also permits the apron 26 to be longitudinally slidable foradjustment of the position of the flange 18 within and along the opening32. Preferably the flange 18 has a conventional circular outer periphery14 and the opening 32 has longitudinally spaced-apart, opposite endwalls 33 that are semicircular. Most preferred is that the longitudinalside walls 34 of the opening 32 are fabricated as parallel linearsidewalls in order to confine the lateral movement of the apron 26 withrespect to the underlying riser 10 regardless of the longitudinalposition of the flange 18 in the opening 32.

It is also desirable that the weight of the toilet and its user besupported by the structures of the riser 10 without requiring the apron26 to have any load bearing structures. By applying the gravitationalforce from the toilet to the riser, the apron 26 can be made withthinner panel walls and will not be stressed sufficiently to cause theapron 26 to be deformed or cracked. For that purpose, the apronsidewalls 30 have a height that positions the underside of the apron toppanel 28 on the top surface 16 of the riser top panel 20. With the aprontop panel 28 in contact with the riser top panel 20, the weight of aninstalled toilet is transmitted through the apron top panel 28 directlyto the top surface 16 of the riser 10. To accomplish that, the distancefrom the bottom ends 24 of the riser sidewalls 22 to the top surface 16of the riser top panel 20 is made equal to the distance from the bottomends 36 of the apron sidewalls 30 to the underside surface 38 of theapron top panel 28.

Referring to FIG. 12, another desirable feature of the invention ishaving the apron 26 constructed so that the top surface 40 of the flange18 is coplanar with the top surface 42 of the apron top panel 28. Toaccomplish that the apron top panel 28 has a thickness that is equal tothe height that the flange 18 protrudes upward from the riser topsurface 16.

The toilet riser 10 and its apron 26 are installed by first installingthe riser 10 on the standard closet flange that is secured on the floorof the room. That requires closet flange bolts that are longer than thestandard closet bolts so they can extend entirely through the riser 10.A wax ring is positioned on the floor closet flange. Then closet boltsare positioned so they extend upward from underneath the floor closetflange. The riser 10 is installed over the closet bolts with the boltsextending up through the riser 10 and through the closet bolt holes 44in the riser flange 18 so that the bolts 44 protrude above the riserflange 18 for eventual attachment to the toilet base. Downward pressureis then applied to the toilet riser 10 to seat the wax ring and providea seal between the riser 10 and the floor closet flange. A second waxring can then be positioned on the riser flange 18. The apron 26 is thenpositioned over the riser 10 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

It is necessary at some stage of installation that the apron 26 belongitudinally adjusted by sliding it longitudinally forward or backwarduntil the distance from the bolt holes 44 to the front end 46 of theapron 26 is slightly more than the distance from the corresponding boltholes in the toilet to the front end of the toilet base. The distance of“slightly more” is essentially a matter of personal preference which isusually a distance to assure that the toilet base does not overhang thefront end 46 of the apron 26 and most preferably is a fraction of aninch recessed from the front end 46.

There are at least two alternative procedures for adjusting thelongitudinal position of the apron 26. The correct positioning of theapron 26 can be accomplished by using measurements of the toilet andmeasurements of the position of the front end 46 of the apron 26 andthen pre-positioning the apron 26 before installing the toilet.Alternatively, the invention allows the toilet to be first set upon theriser flange 18 and the top of the apron 26. Before the closet flangebolts are tightened, the apron 26 can then be slid along the riser 10between the riser 10 and the toilet, preferably with the help of anassistant who simultaneously applies a lifting force on the toilet inorder to reduce the friction. After the adjustment is satisfactory, thecloset bolts can be tightened to secure the toilet, the apron 26 and theriser 10 to the floor closet flange.

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate three alternative positions of adjustment for threedifferent toilet base sizes. The outline of the toilet bases is shown inphantom. FIG. 7 shows a shorter toilet base 48 with the apron 26 slidall the way forward so the flange 18 seats against the forward-mostcircular outer periphery 14 of the flange 18. FIG. 9 shows the longesttoilet base 50 with the apron 26 slid all the way back so the flange 18seats against the rear-most circular outer periphery 14 of the flange18. Of course a continuum of intermediate positions are possible and oneis illustrated in FIG. 8 for the intermediate sized toilet base 52.

COMPONENT REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 toilet riser

12 boss on riser and forming flange

14 circular outer periphery of boss and flange

16 top surface of riser

18 flange on riser

20 riser top panel

22 riser sidewalls

24 bottom ends of riser sidewalls

26 apron

28 apron top panel

30 apron sidewalls

32 opening in apron top panel

31 rear wall of apron

33 semicircular end walls of opening

34 longitudinal sidewalls of opening

36 bottom ends of apron sidewalls

38 underside surface of apron top panel

40 top surface of flange

42 top surface of apron top panel

44 closet flange bolt holes

46 front end of apron

48 shortest toilet base outline

50 longest toilet base outline

52 intermediate toilet base outline

This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intendedprincipally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments ofthe invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in whichthe present invention may be constructed or utilized. The descriptionsets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementingthe invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is tobe understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions andfeatures may be accomplished by different embodiments that are alsointended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the inventionand that various modifications may be adopted without departing from theinvention or scope of the following claims.

1. A longitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apron for mountingover an underlying toilet riser in order to provide a toilet basemounting surface for a toilet base that extends beyond a forward end ofthe underlying toilet riser, the underlying toilet riser having a riserlength in a longitudinal direction that is longer than its riser widthin a lateral direction, the underlying toilet riser having a riser toppanel with a riser top surface and a flange having a lateral width andprotruding a selected flange height from the riser top surface, theunderlying toilet riser having supports extending from the riser toppanel and terminating in a plane for supporting the toilet riser on afloor, the apron comprising: (a) an apron top panel having an apronlength in the longitudinal direction that is longer than the riserlength and an apron width in the lateral direction that is wider thanthe riser width so the apron can fit over the riser, the apron top panelhaving an apron top surface and a laterally centered and longitudinallyelongated opening through the apron top panel, the opening havinglongitudinal side walls that are spaced apart farther than the lateralwidth of the riser flange to permit the riser flange to fit within theopening and be slidably and longitudinally adjusted in position withinand along the opening; and (b) apron sidewalls extending from the aprontop panel, the apron sidewalls having a height and position to surroundthe riser top panel and extend to the floor.
 2. A longitudinallyadjustable toilet riser adapter apron in accordance with claim 1 whereinthe apron sidewalls have a height that positions an underside of theapron top panel on the riser top panel so the weight of an installedtoilet is supported by the riser.
 3. A longitudinally adjustable toiletriser adapter apron in accordance with claim 2 wherein the apron toppanel has a thickness that is equal to the selected flange height thatthe flange protrudes from the riser top surface so that the flange has atop surface that is coplanar with the apron top surface.
 4. Alongitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apron in accordance withclaim 3 wherein the flange is circular and the opening haslongitudinally spaced apart end walls that are semicircular.
 5. Alongitudinally adjustable toilet riser adapter apron in accordance withclaim 4 wherein the longitudinal side walls of the opening are linearand parallel.
 6. A toilet riser comprising the combination of anunderlying toilet riser and a longitudinally adjustable toilet riserapron for mounting over the underlying toilet riser in order to providea toilet base mounting surface for a toilet base that extends beyond aforward end of the underlying toilet riser, the combination moreparticularly comprising: (a) an underlying toilet riser having a riserlength in a longitudinal direction that is longer than its riser widthin a lateral direction, the underlying toilet riser having a riser toppanel with a riser top surface and a flange having a lateral width andprotruding a selected flange height from the riser top surface, theunderlying toilet riser having supports extending from the riser toppanel and terminating in a plane for supporting the toilet riser on afloor; (b) an apron top panel having an apron length in the longitudinaldirection that is longer than the riser length and an apron width in thelateral direction that is wider than the riser width so the apron canfit over the riser, the apron top panel having an apron top surface anda laterally centered and longitudinally elongated opening through theapron top panel, the opening having longitudinal side walls that arespaced apart farther than the lateral width of the riser flange topermit the riser flange to fit within the opening and be slidably andlongitudinally adjusted in position within and along the opening; and(b) apron sidewalls extending from the apron top panel, the apronsidewalls having a height and position to surround the riser top paneland extend to the floor.
 7. A toilet riser combination in accordancewith claim 6 wherein the apron sidewalls have a height that positions anunderside of the apron top panel on the riser top panel so the weight ofan installed toilet is supported by the riser.
 8. A toilet risercombination in accordance with claim 7 wherein the apron top panel has athickness that is equal to the selected flange height that the flangeprotrudes from the riser top surface so that the flange has a topsurface that is coplanar with the apron top surface.
 9. A toilet risercombination in accordance with claim 8 wherein the flange is circularand the opening has longitudinally spaced apart end walls that aresemicircular.
 10. A toilet riser combination in accordance with claim 9wherein the longitudinal side walls of the opening are linear andparallel.